Jury Seeks Further Clarification On Manslaughter Instructions In Zimmerman Trial

George Zimmerman

George Zimmerman

SANFORD, Fla. — The jurors in the George Zimmerman trial have a question about the charge of manslaughter.

The jurors sent the judge a note asking for clarification on the charge after deliberating for about eight hours Saturday.

The six female jurors began deliberating Friday afternoon on whether Zimmerman committed a crime when he fatally shot Trayvon Martin.

Zimmerman is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder. He claims he shot the 17-year-old Martin in self-defense.

Jurors have the option of considering manslaughter.

The jury in George Zimmerman’s murder trial entered a second day of deliberations Saturday, weighing whether the neighborhood watch volunteer committed a crime almost a year and a half ago when he fatally shot Trayvon Martin.

About two dozen people gathered outside the courthouse awaiting a verdict, with supporters of the Martin family outnumbering those there for Zimmerman. One man held a sign that read, “We love you George.” A woman lay in the grass in a hoodie, her arms spread, in a re-creation of Martin’s death.

On Twitter, Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, shared what she called her favorite Bible verse: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

On Friday afternoon, as the jury began deliberations, police and civic leaders in this Orlando suburb went on national television to plead for calm in Sanford and across the country if Zimmerman, who identifies himself as Hispanic, is acquitted. Martin was black.

“There is no party in this case who wants to see any violence,” Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger said. “We have an expectation upon this announcement that our community will continue to act peacefully.”

Last year, people protested in Sanford and across the country last year when authorities waited 44 days before arresting Zimmerman.

Zimmerman, 29, is charged with second-degree murder, but the jury also is allowed to consider manslaughter.

The judge’s decision to allow that consideration was a potentially heavy blow to the defense: It could give jurors who aren’t convinced the shooting amounted to murder a way to hold Zimmerman responsible for the killing.

To win a manslaughter conviction, prosecutors must show only that Zimmerman killed without lawful justification.

Zimmerman faces a maximum prison sentence of life for second-degree murder and 30 years if convicted of manslaughter, due to extra sentencing guidelines for committing a crime with a gun.

The sequestered jury of six women – all but one of them white – must sort through conflicting testimony from police, neighbors, friends and family members.

Jurors deliberated for three and a half hours when they decided to stop Friday evening. About two hours into their discussions, they asked for a list of the evidence.

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